The weather in Sydney has been rather dismal lately. Dark, dreary rainclouds looming overhead, a dash of rain in some areas and rough storms in others, and a chilling wind that cuts right through you. It’s almost like winter is staging a comeback, and just when we were packing away the umbrellas and raincoats. Rain doesn’t necessarily have to be miserable though, and umbrellas don’t need to be boring and utilitarian, as you might have seen previously on our blog. Still, these novelty umbrellas from Japan bring a whole new meaning to branded umbrellas.

With a clever application of water absorbent and water repellent coatings, these umbrellas appear plain and unassuming when dry, but unveil all kinds of interesting patterns with the application of water. That’s right, blank when dry, but when you step out into the rain, the hidden patterns appear. It’s quite the novelty, considering all the interesting designs you could have.

We already sell magic mugs, but magic umbrellas? Here’s hoping the printing method arrives here in Australia soon. In the meantime though, I guess you’ll have to content yourself with online retail. Unless you happen to be heading to Japan soon.

Originally seen on http://www.boredpanda.com/umbrella-reveals-pattern-wet-japan/